2024 Board of Directors Election
Announcement: Our 2024 Board of Directors Election will be fully electronic this year. All voting will take place online. Paper ballots will only be available by request from the Customer Service Desk.
Some important things for members to know about our upcoming election:
- August 12, 2024 is the deadline for members to be current in their member investment and have shopped in the last 12 months to be eligible to vote. If you are unsure of your status, please contact membership@sac.coop.
- Voting for the election is open for members from August 26th to September 24
- Ballots will be delivered electronically to all eligible voters. If you have a question about your membership status or voting eligibility please email membership@sac.coop.
- If you have any issues with online voting please see the Customer Service Desk for help.
- Paper ballots are available at the customer service desk if needed.
Apply to Run for the Board of Directors by April 14
Apply to join our Board of Directors and help shape the future of our Co-op!
Applications are open until April 14th, so don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to become an integral part of our cooperative's decision-making process.
Apply to Run for the Board of Directors by April 14
Applications are open until April 14th, so don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to become an integral part of our cooperative's decision-making process.
Learn more about our upcoming election and what it means to be a part of the Board by clicking the link below.
Running for the Board
There are a few basic things Co-op Members should know before deciding to run for the Board of Directors.
The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is governed by a 9-member Board of Directors. Directors are elected to 3-year terms.
A member must be current in their Equity Investment 6 months prior to board service. New directors are seated at the October Board Meeting so each year the deadline will be be determined by that date. A member that is elected to the Board must keep their Equity Investment current for the length of their term. A member that is fully invested is always current.
The Board of Directors uses a Policy Governance™ model to govern the affairs of the Co-op. Policy Governance™ uses policy language developed and voted on by the board to set out the goals of the organization (Ends Policy), to limit the actions of the general manager (Limitations Policies) and to outline the board’s work and process (Board Process policies and Board-Management Relationship policies). These policies can be found on the Co-op website here.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Creating and sustaining a transparent and accountable relationship with the membership.
- Hiring, compensating, delegating responsibility, and holding accountable a general manager.
- Having expectations in the form of written governing policies that realistically address the broadest levels of all organizational decisions and situations.
- Regularly monitoring operational performance in the areas of Ends and Executive Limitations, and board performance in the areas of Board Process and Board- Management Relationship.
- Perpetuating the board’s leadership capacity using ongoing education, training and recruitment.
The Board of Directors does not make decisions about, become involved with, or take part in any of the day-to-day activities or decisions regarding the operations of the Co-op. The board’s sole official connection to the operations of the cooperative is through the General Manager.
The Board of Directors holds monthly business meetings, an annual meeting and 3 member engagement meetings in the calendar year. A member of the board should expect to devote several hours per month to review the monthly board packet and at least two hours per month for the business meetings. Additional time may be required for training, conferences, committee meetings and for day-to-day board communications. New board members should also plan to set aside time for the onboarding process.
The job description of a general member of the board can be found here.
Fill out this Candidate Statement of Interest form. Complete by April 14. The Nominations Committee will review and schedule interviews in the month of April.
The Nominating Committee is charged with the responsibility of selecting the best candidates for the Board of Directors and making a recommendation to the board. Not all interested candidates may be recommended by the Nominating Committee. At the June board meeting, the Nominating Committee will declare approved candidates for final approval by the board.
Candidates not recommended by the Nominating Committee may still run by petition. To run by petition a member must obtain signatures from 5% of active members. Due dates for petition signatures and all other deadlines may be requested from the Board Administrator.Â
Once candidates have been nominated or have gathered the required signatures to run by petition, all candidates are then required to fill out and sign a Declaration of Candidacy form, and the Board Code of Conduct form. Candidates should then become familiar with the Election Policy and the Election Information Packet to understand the rules for campaigning, the timelines for submitting statements and photos, and the dates and expectations for any candidate events.
Additional things to become familiar with are the Co-op’s Ends Policy, the Co-op’s Bylaws, the Board Governance Policies, and the general workings of Policy Governance.